10 Incredible Stories Behind Famous Wrestling Themes

by Jamie Kennedy

1. 'Real American' Wasn't Written For Hulk Hogan

Nothing sums up the era of Hulkamania better than Rick Derringer's timeless classic, 'Real American' - anywhere Hulk Hogan traversed in the world, fans had this well-produced rock staple playing in their heads. It's pretty accurate to imagine that Hogan's red and yellow, All-American character would have been successful even if different music had been chosen for his entrance, but Derringer's song really added to the overall appeal.

'Real American' was the perfect fit for Hulk Hogan, but it wasn't even originally written for him. Instead, the song was penned for a tag-team called the US Express, comprised of Mike 'I.R.S' Rotunda and Barry Windham. Instead of staying in the then-WWF to see the team through, both Rotunda and Windham elected to move sideways to the NWA, meaning the music was available for someone else to use.

Enter Hulk Hogan, and the rest is history. The song was ideal for 'The Hulkster', and Derringer's track only became more famous due to association with one of the biggest names in pro wrestling folklore. Still to this day, there are wrestling fans drunkenly singing the song on karaoke, which shows how well the song hit home with all age groups.

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What other stories behind the music of pro wrestling do you know? Did you know about any of the ones featured on this list before reading? Let us know down in the comments section below!

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.